2009. The 1400 km Trans-Afghan Gas Pipeline (TAP)
from Turkemenistan to Gwadar(Pakistan), a long-dormant project that would pump
Turkmen natural gas to markets in South Asia, may finally be poised to begin at
a cost of $3 billion. The Government has announced that a massive defense
facility will be constructed in the city in order to guarantee the security of
the area. The Government has also announced that a new shipbuilding centre will
be built at Gwadar, with an as-yet unspecified international partner
